Beijing Issues Red Alert For Smog Pollution Blanketing The City

Chinese capital Beijing has issued a red alert for pollution Monday evening for three days until Thursday noon, restricting use of cars, closing schools, banning fireworks and halting outdoor construction.

This is the first time the city has issued a red alert since the system was set up in 2013.

The authorities issued an orange alert for the city on Saturday.

The red alert will start from 7 a.m. Tuesday and government agencies too have to abide by the rules by keeping 30 percent of their automobiles off the streets.

By Sunday afternoon thick smog was found settled over the city and the US government labels such as very unhealthy with toxic air all around.

Last week the government faced criticisms for issuing orange alert instead of red code.

An expanse of toxic air smothered the norther part of the country starting November 28.

Some places in the northern part of China have some of the worst air pollution in the world and most of those come from industrial coal burning.

At the recent international climate change talks in Paris the Chinese officials promised to curb on the use of coal to address carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution too.